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The Importance of Lifelong Learning for Nurses

Nov 1, 2017

Why do we, as nursing professionals, have to put in effort to continuously learn?

The rate of progress in technology is growing at an exponential rate. The more things we discover, the faster we do it. What we learnt in nursing school 10 years ago might already be obsolete next year. As nurses, we are at risk of endangering our patients as our skills are steadily becoming more outdated.

Lifelong learning is a term that is freely being thrown around these past two decades. Lifelong learning means that education does not end at the academic level upon graduation; it means new skills, knowledge, and practices are always there to be learnt to improve oneself.

New Methods of Nursing

Take CPR, for example.

A vital procedure, many lives are saved with it. You would think that for something used so much in hospitals, it would be a science that’s very well established.

Unfortunately, no. Researchers and new observations change the way CPR is done. A decade ago, CPR was considered futile after a certain amount of time. Now, you are encouraged to not give up those chest compressions until medical help arrives.

Even the steps for CPR ten years ago are in different order. It used to be A-B-C; clear Airway, apply rescue breaths, then begin compressions. Now compressions come first and foremost. The reason is because rescue breaths lower chest cavity air pressure, slowing circulation (which is exactly what we do not want in cardiac arrest).

The new methods are more effective than the older ones. And it took only ten years for the old methods to become obsolete.

Not knowing the newer, more effective method could cost someone his/her life.

Renewing Your Nursing License

In Malaysia, you have to renew your license every year.

When you renew your license, they will check your CPD points: Continuous Professional Development points. These are points that you gain when you go for any nursing related courses.

For example, attend a Midwifery course and gain 5 CPD points. Attend a Wound Management course and get 3.

These points accumulate throughout the year, and when you want to renew your license, you need about 20-30 points. Otherwise, you will not be able to renew, thus leaving you without any form of registration. Meaning you can’t practice nursing!

Improving care towards patients

Nurses with a higher level of education are able to think more critically of their patients. They are able to aid in diagnosis, notice patterns in communication, and other physical cues that would help in determining the best course of treatment.

A nurse with a post-basic in cardiology is much more useful to a cardiologist compared to a general staff nurse. They can work together, exchange information, and execute procedures that the latter would not normally have the ability to do.

21st Century patients

Nowadays, patients are have more access to information than ever before. They are more learned, and have different set of expectations. They query a lot; so nurses have to be armed with the right set of information to cater to these patients. It goes a long way in establishing their trust towards you.

A good nurse-patient relationship is very important to achieve successful recovery.

Great nurses are always on the lookout for new, exciting, and better opportunities to grow their career. Find out your next employment with MIMS Career, a fast, secure, and convenient portal to connect you to top-class healthcare employers in MY, SG, ID, and PH.

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